Managing Your USDA-Compliant Foodservice Program

Transcription

1 Presented by: Jason Spence Steve Moon

2 What s it all about? Schools running an NSLP-based nutrition program are both.a business and,.a government benefits administrator

3 What do you need? 1) You need to be on the NSLP to get benefits and reimbursement. There is a process to qualify Go to: or to your state Dept of Ed for details This can be a great benefit, bringing a new source of funding to the school

4 What do you need? 2) You need a way for families to apply for & be awarded benefits. Application forms come from the state Dept of Ed Apps have to be distributed to all families Some families get certified directly by the state; you need to approve them and track their benefits Verification process USDA-mandated selection methodology You have to mail a lot of letters

5 What do you need? 3) You need a menu offering that meets USDA nutritional guidelines. Local School District: will supply the menu Caterer: can provide a pre-approved menu Prepare your own meals: use a USDA-compliant nutrient analysis program

6 What do you need? 4) You need a method for tracking meals served. Low-tech methods: Paper tickets Paper rosters Homemade spreadsheet These methods are all: Management/Labor-intensive Lead to overt identification Time-consuming Error-prone

7 What do you need? 5) You need a method for preparing/submitting your reimbursement claim form. Monthly routine Data must be compiled and entered Completed form must be submitted It may sound simple, but it requires a lot more time than you might think. Imagine the process based on tracking methods above.

8 What do you need? 6) You need to be able to substantiate your claims and record-keeping in an audit. Audit by the state nutrition office is coming Everything in a sample week will be reviewed including meals served to specific students. Must provide proof for your claims or you may face financial penalties that will drain much of the reimbursements funds you worked to receive. Daily meal count claims that exceed allowable meals based on your attendance factor will alert auditors.

9 How many hats are you juggling now?

10 There Is A Better Way!

11 Computer-based systems: Automate the process. Are fast Are affordable Are easy to learn and use, Run on standard Windows-based computers.

12 With a Computer-based system: Automate the application approval process. Automate the verification process Automate the sending of all of those letters

13 With a Computer-based system: Students receive a secure debit account Reduce cash-in-line Increase participation No more lost tickets Speed up lunch service Allow parents to pay with cc from home computer

14 With a Computer-based system: Automatically record meal service Offer debit accounts for students and staff; they identify themselves at meal service using photo rosters, keypads, bar codes, or biometrics Records are stored electronically; no duplication of effort Record all cash sales and food items sold Get detailed bank deposit and operations summary reports Prevent students from receiving a second F/R meal Use Diet restrictions to prevent students from receiving allergy-causing items

15 With a Computer-based system: Easily generate your monthly claim form Some even have your state-specific form resident in the system Quick and easy way to tally up your claim

16 With a Computer-based system: Get all the reports you need for an audit AccuClaim Edit Checks Participation reports Historical data is archived and accessible when required

17 In Summary: You re there to provide a strong academic program to a targeted group of students, not to manage a foodservice business. But, providing a daily nutrition program is an essential. Participation in the NSLP can help you pay for this valuable service. You have enough work to do already with all the compliance requirements Charter schools face. Take the burden of NSLP compliance off of your plate and make this requirement simple. Don t try to administer the NSLP with outmoded paper methods. Take advantage of the speed and accuracy of a computer-based system.

18 Questions?

19 Thank You!